Power to the “Flowers”

• In Event: ICA Plenary Interactive Paper/Poster Session I
  In Interactive Paper Session: Global Communication and Social Change Interactive Poster Session

Abstract

This paper intends to explore the power on diasporic media by a “flower model” - how diasporas(“soil”) and homelands(“sunshine”) impact diasporic media(“flowers”). An investigation on the research sample - the Chinese diasporas and diasporic newspapers in Oceania shows two results. First, the diaspora, especially the transformation of sub-Chinese diasporic groups, is a major power to the survival of diasporic newspapers, including in reader and advertisement markets, and media ownership. Second, the homelands influences (mainland, Hong Kong, etc.) contribute directly to these media’s content, audience and ownership. Subsequently, comparative studies were conducted between the Chinese and the other diasporic newspapers in the six languages. Results show: while the diasporas are the vital power to all the papers, the homeland impacts are not salient on the six languages newspapers. Two reasons for the differences rely on media owner and homeland. In the digital media age, media owners, diasporic communities and homeland influences would be still the major power on diasporic media.

Author

• Jack Liu, Guangdong University of Foreign Studies